The little girl ate a roasted chicken leg and a meat-filled sesame seed cake.
He drank a few sips of water and patted his round belly.
He lowered his head shyly, then looked up and grinned at Li Lanzhen.
"Grandma, I'm full. It's been over a year since I've had a full stomach. Today I'm finally full."
He turned his head and spoke to Silver Fox, who was leisurely eating roast chicken.
"Uncle, thank you! I haven't eaten meat in over a year. The meat smells so good today!"
As he spoke, he glanced at the half-eaten roast chicken in the bowl next to Silver Fox.
Silver Fox felt sad and amused at the same time looking at her pitiful appearance.
He looked up and met her eyes, which were once again stealing glances at half a chicken.
The little girl chuckled, trying to hide her embarrassment.
Silver Fox teased her.
"Aren't you full yet?"
You can't have this half roast chicken.
Leave it for your grandfather, and give it to him when he wakes up.
The rice porridge cooking in this small pot is also for your grandfather to drink when he wakes up.
The little girl was even happier to hear that, and smiled as she looked at the bubbling rice porridge!
Seeing that she had finished eating, Li Lanzhen took out a handkerchief to wipe her greasy mouth and hands.
"Where did you and your grandfather come from? Where is your home? Why are you the only two people here? How long have you been under this big rock?"
The little girl's tears streamed down her face as she listened to Li Lanzhen's question, but she didn't cry out loud.
After a while, she raised her hand and dried her tears.
He looked at Li Lanzhen and said.
"Grandma, our family is from Xuzhou Prefecture. My father is a teacher at Xuzhou Academy, and my grandfather also runs a private school, where they both teach young students."
One night a year ago, my father came home covered in blood and told my grandfather to take me and run to Youzhou Prefecture. My father said that Prince Rong was good to the people and that we should be able to survive if we fled there.
My grandfather carried me out of the back door of our house and saw that soldiers had surrounded the house. Soon after, our house was engulfed in flames.
Grandpa didn't dare to linger, and carried me on his back as he ran out of the city gate.
Later, we encountered many people fleeing famine on the road. The food we brought was stolen. Seeing that there were too many people fleeing famine on the road, my grandfather took me into the mountains and walked along the foot of the mountain.
Six months ago, my grandfather and I got caught in a heavy rain.
Grandpa's health has always been poor; we've been here for over a month now.
Li Lanzhen pulled her into her arms with heartache and held her tightly.
"So what do you eat every day?"
The little girl had tears in her eyes, but she just chuckled.
"Grandma, I crawled in and out of the dog hole in the city gate to ask others for some food, and then I came back to eat with Grandpa."
I heard on the street that Prince Rong had already ascended the throne and become emperor.
When I got back, I told Grandpa, and he sighed deeply.
Then his health deteriorated day by day, and then he developed a fever and lost his appetite.
Her voice trailed off as she sobbed.
“It’s all my fault for being useless. I couldn’t get rice for Grandpa so I could cook some porridge for him. If he drinks rice porridge, he will definitely get better.”
Li Lanzhen hugged the little one in her arms.
Where is your mother?
Upon hearing this, the little girl began to cry.
“Father said that Mother left when she gave birth to me, and Father said that Mother is watching over me from heaven.”
Li Lianzhen looked up and met Silver Fox's gaze.
She held the child in her arms with tenderness, patted her back, and said...
"How old are you? What's your name? Tell Grandma."
"Grandma, I am five years old. My surname is Xu and my name is Zhihua."
"Xu Zhihua, what a beautiful name! Would you like to come with Grandma? Grandma has several grandchildren; you can grow up with them, okay?"
Zhihua frowned and looked at her grandfather lying under the big rock.
"Grandma, I need to ask Grandpa first. If Grandpa goes, I'll go too. I'll tell Grandpa that you saved us. You're a good person."
Looking up at the silver fox gazing at her, Zhihua added another sentence.
"Uncle is a good person too!"
"Cough! Cough! Cough!"
At that moment, the old man under the big rock coughed.
Zhihua quickly burrowed out of Li Lanzhen's arms. By the time Silver Fox stood up and followed, her small body had already disappeared under the large rock.
She knelt beside her grandfather and shouted loudly.
"Grandpa, you're awake! You're all better! Zhihua was so worried about you."
"Cough! Cough cough, Zhihua, Grandpa is fine. After Grandpa rests for a while, he will take Zhihua to Youzhou City. Grandpa will write letters for others to earn money and buy meat buns for Zhihua to eat."
Suddenly, his eyes fell upon Silver Fox and Li Lanzhen standing outside the cave.
He immediately became alert, grabbed Zhihua, placed her behind him, and sat up.
They looked at them warily.
"Who are you? I have nothing on me, please don't hurt my granddaughter."
Zhihua quickly tugged at his sleeve and said.
"Grandpa, they are all good people. Grandma brought the medicine, and Uncle fed you the medicine and gave you water. You don't have a fever anymore."
Silver Fox stepped forward and said.
"Grandpa, let me help you out to sit down. We've cooked some rice porridge; have some so you'll have more energy."
Zhihua quickly replied.
"Grandpa, go drink it, it smells so good!"
I just ate a big chicken leg and two meat-filled sesame flatbreads, they were so delicious!
Zhihua's grandfather then lowered his guard, turned over, knelt up, rested for a while, and slowly walked out from under the big rock.
I was out of breath as soon as I stood up straight outside.
Silver Fox helped him turn around the big rock and brought him back to the place where they had just eaten.
Beside the stone, a fire was still burning, and in a small earthenware pot next to the fire, rice porridge was emitting a fragrant aroma.
Li Lanzhen picked up the earthenware pot and poured him more than half a bowl of rice porridge.
"Master Xu, please sit here and eat."
Grandpa Zhihua glanced at his little granddaughter.
This is like revealing all your secrets to others.
"Thank you, thank you so much. If it weren't for you and your daughter, my granddaughter and I would have disappeared in these mountains."
The old man held the bowl, his movements shaky and unsteady.
Silver Fox quickly moved a large stone over and placed it in front of the old man.
"Master, put your bowl here and eat."
Li Lanzhen took out a wooden spoon from her spatial storage using the basket on her back.
"Zhihua, give this spoon to your grandfather to drink his porridge."
"Okay, Grandma, thank you."
Master Xu ate very slowly, and he was sweating profusely as he ate.
Silver Fox took out a handkerchief and handed it to Zhihua.
"Go, wipe your grandpa's sweat."
In the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, the old master finished his porridge.
His fever had subsided by then, and after eating hot porridge, he felt much better.
Zhihua stood to the side, watching as Master Xu finished his porridge, wiped his mouth, squatted down, and looked at him as he spoke.
"Grandpa and Grandma asked us if we would like to go with them."
Grandma said she has many grandchildren and wants me to grow up with them. Would you like to go?
Master Xu glanced at Li Lanzhen and then at Silver Fox.
Thinking to myself, I couldn't tell what kind of family this old lady had lived in in the past.
She didn't look like a peasant woman, nor like a lady from a wealthy family.
This young master, however, was a son raised by a wealthy family.
The combination of these two is quite interesting.
However, both of them had clear and discerning eyes, and they were clearly kind-hearted people.
Looking down at his granddaughter's longing eyes, he gazed at her.
"Zhihua, would you like to go with Grandma and Uncle?"
"I do!"
Zhihua blurted out, then stuck out her tongue as she spoke.
"Zhihua will listen to her grandfather. If he says she'll go, she'll go."
Master Xu threw his head back and burst into laughter.
His eyes were slightly red.
Ever since that night, I've been carrying my granddaughter on my back, fleeing all the way here from famine.
I met many people and experienced many things.
The unbearable sorrow in my heart was suddenly replaced by a loud laugh, and my heart felt instantly relieved.
He clapped his hands and said, "Okay, we'll go with you!"
Li Lanzhen was secretly delighted upon hearing this.
After she learned of Master Xu's identity, she planned to take him back to Peach Blossom Spring.
So many children in Peach Blossom Spring should be receiving an education.
So the old master readily agreed, and she said with a smile.
“Master Xu, my surname is Li, Li Lanzhen. We live in this deep mountain, in a valley called Peach Blossom Spring.”
"Peach Blossom Spring? There really is a place called Peach Blossom Spring! Hahaha, great! I'll go and see this Peach Blossom Spring for myself!"
Then he looked at the silver fox.
Silver Fox stood up and gave him a junior's bow.
"Master Xu, this junior is Silver Fox."
With just a few simple words, Master Xu realized that he was no ordinary person.
Looking at the silver mask on his face, Master Xu thought to himself, "He's quite a young man with a story to tell!"
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